Six-wheel all-terrain vehicle

ABSTRACT

A vehicle has a frame, a motor connected to the frame, two front wheels operatively connected to the frame, two intermediate wheels operatively connected to the frame, the two intermediate wheels being disposed rearward of the two front wheels, two rear wheels operatively connected to the frame, the two rear wheels being disposed rearward of the intermediate wheels, a driver seat connected to the frame, a passenger seat disposed at least in part rearward of the driver seat, the driver seat and the passenger seat being straddle seats, and a cargo box connected to the frame, the passenger seat being disposed at least in part forward of the cargo box.

CROSS-REFERENCE

The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/841,040, filed Jun. 28, 2013, the entirety of whichis incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY

The present technology relates to six-wheel all-terrain vehicles.

BACKGROUND

All-terrain vehicles commonly have four wheels and a straddle seatadapted to accommodate a driver of the vehicle. To transport cargo,these vehicles are provided with one or more racks to which the cargocan be attached.

Although the above arrangement is suitable for most recreational usesand some utilitarian uses, for some all-terrain vehicles it does notprovide sufficient cargo capacity. Also, for some utilitarian uses, itcould be practical for the vehicle to provide room for a passenger.

There is therefore a need for an all-terrain vehicle providingadditional cargo space and room for a passenger.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present technology to ameliorate at least some ofthe inconveniences present in the prior art.

According to one aspect of the present technology, there is provided avehicle having a frame, a motor connected to the frame, two front wheelsoperatively connected to the frame, two intermediate wheels operativelyconnected to the frame, the two intermediate wheels being disposedrearward of the two front wheels, two rear wheels operatively connectedto the frame, the two rear wheels being disposed rearward of theintermediate wheels, a driver seat connected to the frame, a passengerseat disposed at least in part rearward of the driver seat, the driverseat and the passenger seat being straddle seats, and a cargo boxconnected to the frame, the passenger seat being disposed at least inpart forward of the cargo box.

In some implementations of the present technology, the driver andpassenger seats are both laterally centered about a longitudinalcenterline of the vehicle.

In some implementations of the present technology, a majority of thepassenger seat is disposed rearward of the driver seat.

In some implementations of the present technology, a front portion ofthe passenger seat overlaps the rear portion of the driver seat.

In some implementations of the present technology, the passenger seathas a seat bottom and a seat back.

In some implementations of the present technology, the seat bottom ofthe passenger seat is vertically higher than the driver seat.

In some implementations of the present technology, two swing armsconnect the intermediate wheels to the frame. The swing arms pivot abouta swing arm axis. The intermediate wheels rotate about intermediatewheel axes. At least a majority of the seat bottom is disposedlongitudinally between the intermediate wheel axes and the swing armaxis.

In some implementations of the present technology, at least one grabhandle is provided on at least one side of the passenger seat.

In some implementations of the present technology, the passenger seat iscompletely rearward of the motor.

In some implementations of the present technology, the intermediatewheels rotate about intermediate wheel axes. At least a majority of thepassenger seat is disposed forward of the intermediate wheel axes.

In some implementations of the present technology, a portion of thecargo box extends forward of a rear portion of the passenger seat.

In some implementations of the present technology, the cargo box ispivotally connected to the frame about a pivot axis. The passenger seatis disposed completely forward of the pivot axis.

Implementations of the present technology each have at least one of theabove-mentioned object and/or aspects, but do not necessarily have allof them. It should be understood that some aspects of the presenttechnology that have resulted from attempting to attain theabove-mentioned object may not satisfy this object and/or may satisfyother objects not specifically recited herein.

Additional and/or alternative features, aspects and advantages ofimplementations of the present technology will become apparent from thefollowing description, the accompanying drawings and the appendedclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a better understanding of the present technology, as well as otheraspects and further features thereof, reference is made to the followingdescription which is to be used in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, where:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view taken from a rear left side of a six-wheelall-terrain vehicle (ATV);

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ATV of FIG. 1 with side walls and anupper tailgate of a cargo box removed;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the ATV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a left side elevation view of the ATV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a right side elevation view of the ATV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a front elevation view of the ATV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view taken from a rear, right side of the ATV ofFIG. 1 with the cargo box removed;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view taken from a rear, right side of a frame, adrive assembly, an engine, and right wheels of the ATV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9 is a top plan view of the engine, the drive assembly, the wheels,an intermediate suspension and a rear suspension of the ATV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a left side elevation view of the elements of FIG. 9 with theleft intermediate and rear wheels removed;

FIG. 11 is a top plan view of the engine, the drive assembly and thewheels of the ATV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 12 is a perspective view taken from a front, left side of anintermediate gear assembly and a rear gear assembly of the driveassembly of FIG. 11;

FIG. 13 is a perspective view taken from a front, left side of theintermediate gear assembly and the rear gear assembly of FIG. 12 withthe housings of the gear assemblies removed to show internal componentsthereof;

FIG. 14 is a perspective view taken from a rear, left side of a cargobox and a frame portion of the ATV of FIG. 1;

FIGS. 15A to 15C are perspective views taken from a rear, left side ofthe cargo box of the ATV of FIG. 1 showing steps for installing theupper tailgate of the cargo box;

FIGS. 16A and 16B are perspective views taken from a rear, left side ofthe cargo box of the ATV of FIG. 1 showing steps for installing sidewalls of the cargo box;

FIG. 16C is a perspective view taken from a bottom, front, left side ofthe cargo box of the ATV of FIG. 1 showing a final step for installingside walls of the cargo box;

FIG. 16D is a perspective view taken from a rear, right side of a leftside wall of the cargo box;

FIG. 17 is a rear elevation view of the cargo box and frame portion ofFIG. 14;

FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the cargo box and frame portion ofFIG. 14;

FIG. 19 is a perspective view taken from a rear, right side of the cargobox and frame portion of FIG. 14, with the upper tailgate and side wallsremoved and a lower tailgate in an open position;

FIG. 20 is a perspective view taken from a rear, right side of the cargobox elements of FIG. 19 with the lower tailgate in an open position anda cover removed;

FIG. 21 is a perspective view taken from a rear, left side of a storagebox adapted to be received in the cargo box of the ATV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 22 is a perspective view taken from a rear, right side of the cargobox and frame portion of FIG. 14, with the upper tailgate and side wallsremoved, the lower tailgate in an open position and the storage box ofFIG. 21 being inserted in the cargo box, with the lid of the storage boxbeing partially slid forward;

FIG. 23 is a perspective view taken from a rear, left side of the cargobox and frame portion of FIG. 14, with the lower tailgate removed forclarity and the storage box of FIG. 21 in the cargo box;

FIG. 24 is a perspective view taken from a rear, right side of the cargobox and frame portion of FIG. 14, with the upper tailgate and side wallsremoved, the lower tailgate in an open and rearwardly pulled position;

FIG. 25 is a perspective view taken from a rear, right side of the cargobox and frame portion of FIG. 14, with the upper tailgate and side wallsremoved, and the lower tailgate shown removed from the cargo box body;

FIG. 26 is a top plan view of a rear frame portion, the intermediate andrear wheels and suspensions, a portion of the drive assembly and a rearwinch assembly of the ATV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 27 is a left side elevation view of an alternative implementationof the six-wheel ATV of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 28 is a left side elevation view of the ATV of FIG. 27 with thewheels removed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIGS. 1 to 6 illustrate a six-wheel ATV 10. The ATV 10 has a frame 12 towhich a vehicle body 14 is mounted. Two front wheels 16 are suspendedfrom a front of the frame 12. Two intermediate wheels 18 are suspendedfrom the frame 12 rearward of the front wheels 16. Two rear wheels 20are suspended from the frame 12 rearward of the intermediate wheels 18.As can be seen, the longitudinal distance between the intermediate andrear wheels 18, 20 is less than the longitudinal distance between thefront and intermediate wheels 16, 20. Each of the six wheels 16, 18, 20has a tire 22. A straddle seat 24 is mounted on the frame 12 toaccommodate a driver of the ATV 10. As can be seen a portion of the seat24 is disposed between the front wheels 16 and the intermediate wheels18 in a longitudinal direction of the ATV 10. Foot rests 26 are providedon either side of seat 24 below the seat 24. As can be seen, each footrest 26 is disposed longitudinally between the front wheel 16 and theintermediate wheel 18 on the side on which it is located.

A steering assembly including a handlebar 28 is disposed forwardly ofthe straddle seat 24. A throttle lever 30 and a brake lever 32 aremounted to the handlebar 28. The steering assembly is operativelyconnected to the two front wheels 16 to permit steering of the ATV 10. Amotor 34 (FIG. 8) is mounted to the frame 12 below the straddle seat 22.In the present implementation, the motor 34 is a four-stroke, dualcylinder, V-type, internal combustion engine (ICE). It is contemplatedthat the motor 34 could be another type of motor such as, but notlimited to, a two-stroke ICE, a diesel engine, or an electric motor. Themotor 34 is operatively connected to the six wheels 16, 18, 20 to powerthe ATV 10 as will be described below. A gear selection lever 36 isprovided below the handlebar 28 forward of the seat 24. A fuel fillercap 38 (FIG. 3) is provided on the vehicle body 14 to a right of a rearportion of the seat 24.

A front winch assembly is provided near a front of the ATV 10. The frontwinch assembly includes a winch motor (not shown) mounted to the frame12 forwardly of the motor 34, a cable (not shown) connected to the winchmotor and passing through an opening 40 (FIG. 6) in a front plate 42connected to the frame 12, and a hook 44 connected to the end of thecable. A cargo rack 46 is mounted to the vehicle body 14 forward of thehandlebar 28. A hitch ball 48 is connected to the rear of the frame 12.The hitch ball 48 can be removed from the frame 12.

A cargo box 50 is pivotally mounted to the frame 12 rearward of thestraddle seat 24 as will be described below.

The ATV 10 has other features and components common to most ATVs such asheadlights, a fuel tank, an air intake system and an exhaust system. Asit is believed that these features and components would be readilyrecognized by one of ordinary skill in the art, further explanation anddescription of these components will not be provided herein. Otherfeatures of the ATV 10 will be described below.

Turning now to FIGS. 7 and 8, the frame 12 will be described in moredetails. The frame 12 has a front frame portion 52 and a rear frameportion 54 that are fastened to each other. The front frame portion 52is similar to the frames shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,781,issued Oct. 5, 2004, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,434,774, issued May 7, 2013,both of which are incorporated herein by reference. The front andintermediate wheels 16, 18 are connected to the front frame portion 52.The rear frame portion 54 has lower longitudinally extending framemembers 56 to which the rear wheels 20 are connected. The fronts of theframe members 56 are connected to the front frame portion 52. The rearframe portion 54 also has a cargo box supporting frame 58. The cargo boxsupporting frame 58 is connected on top of the frame members 56 and isconnected at its front to the front frame portion 52. The cargo boxsupporting frame 58 defines a space 60 to receive the cargo box 50therein.

Turning now to FIGS. 6, 9 and 10, the suspension system of the ATV 10will be described in more detail. As best seen in FIG. 6, each frontwheel 16 is connected to the frame 12 by a suspension including a lowercontrol arm 62 and a shock absorber and spring assembly 64. The lowercontrol arm 62 is pivotally connected at one end to the frame 12 about agenerally longitudinal axis. The other end of the lower control arm 62is connected via a ball joint (not shown) to a kingpin 66 (FIG. 8). Thekingpin 66 receives the front wheel shaft (not shown) of the front wheel16 therein. One or more bearings (not shown) rotationally support thefront wheel shaft inside the kingpin 66 thereby allowing the front wheel16 to turn about a front wheel axis 68. The shock absorber and springassembly 64 is connected at its upper end to the frame 12 and at itslower end to the kingpin 66. It is contemplated that the front wheels 16could be connected to the frame 12 by another type of suspension suchas, but not limited to, a swing arm suspension or a double A-armsuspension.

As best seen in FIGS. 9 and 10, each intermediate wheel 18 is connectedto the frame by a swing arm suspension including a swing arm 70 and ashock absorber and spring assembly 72. It is contemplated that the swingarm 70 could be replaced by another type of suspension arm such as, butnot limited to, one or two A-arms. The swing arm 70 defines a sleeve(not shown) at a rear end thereof that receives the intermediate wheelshaft (not shown) therein. One or more bearings (not shown) rotationallysupport the intermediate wheel shaft inside the sleeve thereby allowingthe intermediate wheel 18 to turn about an intermediate wheel axis 74.The front end of the swing arm 70 is pivotally connected to the frame 12about a laterally extending swing arm axis 76, thereby allowing theintermediate wheel 18 to move up and down about the swing arm axis 76.The swing arm axis 76 is disposed between the front wheel axis 68 andthe intermediate wheel axis 74 in the longitudinal direction of the ATV10. The shock absorber and spring assembly 72 is connected at its lowerend to the swing arm 70 and at its upper end to the frame 12.

Each rear wheel 20 is connected to the frame by a swing arm suspensionincluding a swing arm 78 and a shock absorber and spring assembly 80. Itis contemplated that the swing arm 78 could be replaced by another typeof suspension arm such as, but not limited to, one or two A-arms. Theswing arm 78 defines a sleeve (not shown) at a rear end thereof thatreceives the rear wheel shaft (not shown) therein. One or more bearings(not shown) rotationally support the rear wheel shaft inside the sleevethereby allowing the rear wheel 20 to turn about a rear wheel axis 82.The front end of the swing arm 78 is pivotally connected to the frame 12about a laterally extending swing arm axis 84, thereby allowing the rearwheel 20 to move up and down about the swing arm axis 84. The swing armaxis 84 is disposed between the intermediate wheel axis 74 and the rearwheel axis 82 in the longitudinal direction of the ATV 10. The shockabsorber and spring assembly 80 is connected at its lower end to theswing arm 78 and at its upper end to the frame 12.

A sway bar 86 has a generally straight central portion 88 (FIG. 9) andtwo rearwardly and upwardly extending end portions 90. The centralportion 88 is pivotally supported inside two bushing blocks 92. Thebushing blocks 92 are connected to the frame 12. As such, the sway bar86 can pivot inside the bushing blocks 92 about a laterally extendingsway bar axis 96. The sway bar axis 96 is disposed between theintermediate wheel axis 74 and the swing arm axis 84 in the longitudinaldirection of the ATV 10. Hinges 98 pivotally connects the ends of thesway bar 86 to their corresponding swing arms 78. The hinges 98 aredisposed between the sway bar axis 96 and the rear wheel axes 82 in alongitudinal direction of the ATV 10. Each hinge 98 has a hinge lock 100(FIG. 10) selectively rigidly connecting the two portions of the hinge98 to each other to prevent them from pivoting relative to each other.

When the hinge locks 100 of both hinges 98 are locked, movement of oneof the rear wheels 20 relative to the other one of the rear wheels 20causes torsion of the sway bar 86 which then causes relative verticalmovement of the other one of the rear wheels 20. When the hinge locks100 of both hinges 98 are unlocked, the two portions of the hinges 98can pivot relative to each other. As a result, when one of the rearwheels 20 moves vertically relative to the frame 12, the correspondingend of the sway bar 86 does not move and there is no torsion of the swaybar 86 and the swing arm 78 and shock absorber and spring assembly 80 onthe opposite side of the frame 12 are unaffected by the verticalmovement of the rear wheel 20. It is contemplated that for largevertical movement of one of the rear wheels 20 relative to the frame 12,the pivotal limit the two portions 98 of the hinge could be reached,thereby resulting in some torsion of the sway bar 86 and the transfer ofmovement to the swing arm 78 and shock absorber and spring assembly 80on the opposite side of the frame 12. International Patent PublicationNo. WO/2013/165901, published Nov. 7, 2013, the entirety of which isincorporated herein by reference, describes a similar sway bar, hingesand hinge locks arrangement.

Turning now to FIGS. 11 to 13, the drive assembly of the ATV 10 will bedescribed in more detail. The output shaft (not shown) of the engine 34is connected to a driving pulley (not shown) of a continuously variabletransmission (CVT) 102. The CVT 102 also has a driven pulley (not shown)that is driven by the driving pulley via a drive belt (not shown). Ascan be seen in FIG. 11, the CVT 102 is disposed on a left side of alongitudinal centerline 104 of the ATV 10. The driven pulley drives atransmission 106 that is connected to the engine 34.

A driveshaft 108 is operatively connected at its rear end to thetransmission 106 and at its front end to a gear assembly 110. As can beseen in FIG. 11, the driveshaft 108 is disposed on a right side of thecenterline 104. The gear assembly 110 includes a driving bevel gear (notshown) connected to the front end of the driveshaft 108 and a drivenbevel gear (not shown) disposed perpendicularly to the driving bevelgear and meshing therewith. Front drive axles 112 are connected at oneend to the driving bevel gear via universal joints (not shown). Thefront drive axles 112 are connected at the other end to the front wheels16 via universal joints (not shown). Rubber boots 114 cover theuniversal joints.

A driveshaft 116 is operatively connected at its front end via auniversal joint 118 to the transmission 106 on a right side of thecenterline 104. From its front end, the driveshaft 116 extends rearwardand left and is operatively connected at its rear end via a universaljoint 120 to a gear assembly 122. The gear assembly 122 will bedescribed in greater detail below. Intermediate drive axles 124 areconnected at one end to the gear assembly 122 via universal joints (notshown). The intermediate drive axles 124 are connected at the other endto the intermediate wheels 18 via universal joints (not shown). Rubberboots 126 cover the universal joints.

A driveshaft 128 is operatively connected at its front end via auniversal joint 130 to the gear assembly 122. From its front end, thedriveshaft 128 extends rearward and right and is operatively connectedat its rear end via a universal joint 132 to a gear assembly 134. As canbe seen in FIG. 11, the driveshaft 128 is eccentric and skewed relativeto the driveshaft 116. The gear assembly 134 will be described ingreater detail below. Rear drive axles 136 are connected at one end tothe gear assembly 134 via universal joints (not shown). The rear driveaxles 136 are connected at the other end to the rear wheels 20 viauniversal joints (not shown). Rubber boots 138 cover the universaljoints.

With reference with FIGS. 12 and 13, the gear assemblies 122, 134 willbe described in more detail. The gear assembly 122 has a two-parthousing 140 inside which are disposed a bevel gear 142, a bevel gear 144and a bevel gear 146. The housing 140 includes a cover 141. The bevelgear 144 has a larger diameter than the bevel gears 142, 146. The bevelgear 144 is disposed to the right of the bevel gears 142, 146 and mesheswith the bevel gears 142, 146. The bevel gear 142 rotates about a gearaxis 148 and is connected to the universal joint 120 via splines 150.The bevel gear 144 rotates about a gear axis 152 that is perpendicularto the gear axis 148 and is connected to the universal joints of theintermediate drive axles 124 via splines 154. The bevel gear 146 rotatesabout a gear axis 156 that is coaxial with the gear axis 148 and isconnected to the universal joint 130 via splines (not shown). As can beseen the bevel gears 142, 146 are disposed on opposite sides of the gearaxis 152. The bevel gears 142, 144, 146 are supported for rotation inthe housing 140 by ball bearings 158.

The gear assembly 134 has a two-part housing 160 inside which aredisposed a bevel gear 162 and a bevel gear 164. The housing 160 includesa cover 161 that is identical to the cover 141. The bevel gear 164 has alarger diameter than the bevel gear 162. The bevel gear 164 is disposedto the left of the bevel gear 162 and meshes with the bevel gear 162.The bevel gear 162 rotates about a gear axis 166 and is connected to theuniversal joint 132 via splines 168. The gear axis 166 is parallel tothe gear axes 148, 156. The bevel gear 164 rotates about a gear axis 170that is perpendicular to the gear axis 166 and is connected to theuniversal joints of the rear drive axles 136 via splines 172. The bevelgears 162, 164 are supported for rotation in the housing 160 by ballbearings 174. As can be seen, the portion of the gear assembly 134forward of the gear axis 170 is a mirror image of the portion of thegear assembly 122 forward of the gear axis 152.

It is contemplated that the gear assembly 134 could also be providedwith another bevel gear that rotates about a gear axis that is coaxialwith the gear axis 166 and meshes with the bevel gear 164. This bevelgear would be provided with a connector, such as splines, that rotatestherewith to permit a vehicle accessory to be connected thereto and bedriven by the engine 34 via the drive assembly. In such animplementation, the gear assembly 134 would be the same as the gearassembly 122, but mounted to the frame such that the bevel gear 164 ison a left side of the bevel gear 162.

The bevel gears 144, 164 are arranged such that they are disposed onopposite sides of a vertical plane 176 (FIG. 11) containing the axis ofrotation of the driveshaft 128. The bevel gears 142, 144, 146, 162 and164 are arranged such that the driveshaft 116, the universal joints 118,120 and the bevel gear 142 rotate in a direction opposite to a directionof rotation of the driveshaft 128, the universal joints 130, 132 and thebevel gears 146, 162 and such that the bevel gears 144, 164 rotate inthe same direction.

In the present implementation, the bevel gears 142, 146 and 162 areidentical and the bevel gears 144, 164 are identical.

Turning now to FIGS. 14 to 25, the cargo box 50 will be described inmore detail. The cargo box 50 has a cargo box body 200, a removablecover 202, an upper tailgate 204 and a lower tailgate 206. The cargo boxbody 200 is pivotally connected to the cargo box supporting frame 58 viashafts 208 (best seen in FIG. 7). The shafts 208 define a pivot axis 210of the cargo box 50. As can seen in FIG. 26, the pivot axis 210 of thecargo box 50 is disposed rearward of the rear wheel axes 82. A damper212 (FIG. 25), which in the present implementation is an air shock, isconnected between the cargo box body 200 and the frame 12 to dampen thepivoting motion of the cargo box 50 about the pivot axis 210. The cargobox 50 is locked in the position shown in the figures by a lockingmechanism best seen in FIGS. 7, 8 and 18. The locking mechanism includesa shaft 214 rotationally connected to the frame 12, a pair of hooks 216connected to the shaft 214 and a lever 218 connected to the shaft 214.The lever 218 is disposed in front of the cargo box 50 and to the rightof a rear portion of the seat 24 (see FIG. 3). The hooks 216 arereceived in recesses (not shown) in the front of the cargo box body 200.To unlock the cargo box 50 a user pulls on the lever 218 which causesthe shaft 214 and the hooks 216 to pivot (counter-clockwise withreference to FIG. 18) thereby disengaging the hooks 216 from therecesses and thereby permitting the cargo box 50 to pivot about thepivot axis 210. The shaft 214, hooks 216 and the lever 218 are biasedtoward the locked position. As such, when the cargo box 50 is pivotedback to the position shown in the figures, it will automatically belocked in place.

The cargo box body 200 has a front wall 220, two removable side walls222, left and right upper floors 224, two rear walls 226 and a lowerportion 228. The lower portion 228 is received in the space 60 definedby the cargo box supporting frame 58 when the cargo box 50 is in theposition shown in the figures. The lower portion 228 has two side walls230, a lower floor 232 disposed between the side walls 230 and a frontwall 234 having a curved portion. As best seen in FIG. 16C, the lowerportion 228 tapers toward its front. The cargo box body 200 has anopened side 236 defined between the two rear walls 226 and by the lowerfloor 232. As will be explained below, the lower tailgate 206selectively closes the opened side 236. Reflectors and/or lights 238 areconnected to the two rear walls 224.

As best seen in FIGS. 19 and 24, each upper floor 224 has four hexagonalapertures 240 and two attachment loops 242. The hexagonal apertures areadapted to receive anchors of the type described in United States PatentPublication No. US 2013/0094920 A1, published Apr. 18, 2013. The anchorsare used to attach various items to the cargo box 50. The attachmentloops 242 are also used to attach various items to the cargo box 50. Twoshafts 244 are inserted through the rear ends of the upper floors 224.It is contemplated that there could be more or less than four apertures240 on each upper floor 224 or that they could be omitted. It iscontemplated that there could more or less than two attachment loops 242on each upper floor 224 or that they could be omitted. Recesses 246formed at the rear ends of the upper floors 224 permit the uppertailgate 204 to pivotally attach to the shafts 244 as will be describedin greater detail below. Each upper floor 224 also defines a step 248(FIG. 20) on which the removable cover 202 rests.

The front wall 220 of the cargo box body 200 has two outer wall portions250 and a central removable wall portion 252. The central wall portion252 is fastened to the outer wall portion 250. As can be seen in FIG.16A, each outer wall portion 250 has an aperture 254 definedtherethrough and the central wall portion 252 has an aperture 256defined near each lateral side thereof. Two U-shaped bars 258 areconnected to the front wall 220. Each U-shaped bar 258 has one arminserted in an aperture 254 and another arm inserted in an aperture 256.The U-shaped bars 258 are used to attach the side walls 222 to the restof the cargo box body 200 as will be described below. The U-shaped bars258 can also be used when the side walls 222 are removed, thereby actingas handles. The U-shaped bars 258 do not need to be installed when theside walls 222 are removed.

The side walls 222 each have two posts 260 (FIG. 16D) extending from abottom thereof. Each side wall 222 also has a laterally inwardlyextending triangular portion 262 at a front thereof. Each triangularportion 262 has an aperture 264 (FIG. 16D) extending therethrough. Arail 266 also extends along a top of a rear portion of each side wall222 and then extends down the rear portion of each side wall 222. A hook267 (FIG. 16D) attaches to the bottom end of each rail 266.

Turning now to FIGS. 16A to 16C, the method of installing one of theside walls 222 to the remainder of the cargo box body 200 will bedescribed. It should be understood that the other one of the side walls222 is installed in the same manner. The U-shaped bar 258 is firstremoved from the cargo box body 200. The side wall 222 is first hookedto the shaft 244 using the hook 267 as shown in FIG. 16A. The side wall222 is then pivoted down on top of its corresponding upper floor 224such that the posts 260 are received in apertures 268 defined in theupper floor 224 and that the triangular portion 262 of the side wall 222rests on top of its corresponding outer wall portion 250 as shown inFIG. 16B. In this position the aperture 264 of the triangular portion262 is aligned with the aperture 254 of the outer wall portion 250. TheU-shaped bar 258 is then installed. The short arm of the U-shaped bar258 is inserted in the aperture 256 of the central wall portion 252. Thelong arm of the U-shaped bar 258 is inserted through the aperture 264 ofthe triangular portion 262 and the aperture 254 of the outer wallportion 250. When the U-shaped bar 258 is installed, the long arm of theU-shaped bar 258 extends below the front wall 220. A cotter pin 270(FIG. 16C) is inserted through the long arm of the U-shaped bar 258 tosecure the U-shaped bar 258 to the front wall 220, and thereby securethe side wall 222 to the remainder of the cargo box body 200.

To remove one of the side walls 222, the upper tailgate 204 is removedas described below, the cotter pin 270 is then removed, the U-shaped bar258 is then pulled out of the front wall 220, thereby permitting removalof the side wall 222. When the side walls 222 are removed and the cover202 is in place as shown in FIG. 19, the upper floors 224 and the cover202 form a flatbed.

The upper tailgate 204 has four hooks 272 extending from a bottomthereof. The hooks 272 are sized to be received in four correspondingrecesses 246 of the cargo box body 200. It is contemplated that theupper tailgate 204 could have more or less than four hooks 272 in whichcase the cargo box body 200 would have at least a corresponding numberof recesses 246. The hooks 272 are shaped such that when the uppertailgate 204 is installed and closed as shown in FIG. 14 they extenddown from the bottom of the tailgate 204, then downward and rearwardunder the shafts 244 and then upwardly above the shafts 244. Two latches274 are fastened to the back of the tailgate 204.

Turning to FIGS. 15A to 15C, the method of installing the upper tailgate204 will be described. In order to install the upper tailgate 204, theside walls 222 need to be installed on the cargo box body 200. The uppertailgate 204 is first oriented such that the hooks 272 are slightlyraised compared to the rest of the upper tailgate 204 as shown in FIG.15A. With the upper tailgate 204 in this orientation, the hooks 272 areinserted in the recesses 246 of the cargo box body 200 and hooked aroundthe shafts 244. As shown in FIG. 15B, guide rails 276 are connectedbetween the upper tailgate 204 and the side walls 222. The guide rails276 slide relative to the side walls 222 as the upper tailgate 204 isopened and closed. The upper tailgate 204 can now be pivoted about theshafts 244 between its opened position (FIG. 15B) and its closedposition (FIG. 15C). To lock the upper tailgate 204 in its closedposition, the latches 274 are attached to hooks 278 extending from theback of the side walls 222.

To remove the upper tailgate 204, the latches 274 are disconnected fromthe hooks 278. The upper tailgate 204 is then opened as shown in FIG.15B. The guide rails 276 are removed. The upper tailgate 204 is thenangled such that the hooks 272 can be disengaged from the shafts 244thereby permitting removal of the upper tailgate 204.

As best seen in FIG. 25 and with reference to an orientation of thelower tailgate 206 when it is in a closed position, the lower tailgate206 has a handle 280 on a rear thereof, two tabs forming hooks 282extending from a bottom thereof, a locking tab 284 extending from a topthereof, and three recesses 286 defined in each side thereof. The hooks282 are received in slots 288 (FIG. 25) defined in downwardly extendingportion of the rear end of the lower floor 232 of the cargo box body200. Two curved rails 290 having hooked ends are connected near a middleof the lower tailgate 206 and have their hooked ends inserted inapertures 292 (FIG. 25) defined in the rear ends of the walls 230 of thecargo box body 200. Each wall 230 also has three tabs 294 extendingtoward the other one of the walls 230. It is contemplated that each wall230 could have more or less than three tabs 294, in which case the lowertailgate 206 would have a corresponding number of recesses 286 on eachside thereof. Two deformable rubber latches 296 (FIG. 17) fasten thelower tailgate 206 to the cargo box body 200.

When the lower tailgate 206 is in the closed position shown in FIGS. 14and 18, the tabs 294 overlap the lower tailgate 206 thereby preventingthe lower tailgate 206 from pivoting to the opened position. To open thelower tailgate 206, the lower tailgate 206 is first slid generallyvertically upwardly to align the recesses 286 of the lower tailgate 206with the tabs 294 as shown in FIG. 17, thereby permitting pivoting ofthe lower tailgate 206 to the opened position. It should be noted thatthe latches 296 bias the lower tailgate 206 downward against the floor232 to prevent the lower tailgate 206 from accidentally sliding up andopening during operation of the ATV 10. The lower tailgate 206 is thenpivoted away from the cargo box body 200 as shown in FIG. 19. The hookedends of the curved rails 290 limit the amount by which the lowertailgate 206 can be pivoted away from the cargo box body 200. To closethe lower tailgate 206, the above steps are repeated in the reverseorder (and reverse direction).

To remove the lower tailgate 206 from the cargo box body 200, the lowertailgate 206 has to be place in the opened position as indicate above,but the latches 296 have to first be unfastened from the lower tailgate206. Once the lower tailgate 206 is in the opened position, the hookedends of the curved rails 290 are removed from inside the apertures 292and then, as shown in FIG. 24, the lower tailgate 206 is pulled rearwardaway from the cargo box body 200. The lower tailgate 206 is then pivotedfurther downward to unhook the hooks 282 of the lower tailgate 206 fromthe slots 288 in the lower floor 232 thereby removing the lower tailgate206 from the cargo box 50. To install the lower tailgate 206, the abovesteps are repeated in the reverse order (and reverse direction).

As indicated above, the cover 202 rests on the steps 248 (FIG. 20). Thefront end of the cover 202 is disposed under the central wall portion252 as can be seen in FIG. 19. When the lower tailgate 206 is closed,the locking tab 284 of the lower tailgate 206 overlaps the rear end ofthe cover 202 as can be seen in FIG. 18, thereby preventing the cover202 from being lifted and removed. It is contemplated that instead ofbeing removable, the cover 202 could be pivotally connected along itsfront end or one of its sides to the cargo box body 200 via a hinge forexample.

The cover 202, the side walls 230, the lower floor 232 and the frontwall 234 define a cargo space therebetween. The cargo space can receivemany items therein. These items can be accessed, inserted in the cargospace, and removed from the cargo space by opening the lower tailgate206, and if necessary or convenient, by lifting or completely removingthe cover 202. Although any item whose dimensions are smaller than thoseof the cargo space can be placed in the cargo space, a storage box 300shown in FIG. 21 has been specifically designed to be inserted in thecargo space. The storage box 300 has a storage box body 302 and aremovable lid 304. A handle 306 is defined at a front of the storage boxbody 302. A handle 308 is defined at a rear of the storage box body 302.The shape and dimensions of the storage box 300 have been selected so asto generally follow the shape and dimensions of the cargo space. As aresult, when the lower tailgate 206 is closed, the storage box 300 doesnot move around in the cargo space when the ATV 10 is in operation.FIGS. 22 and 23 show the storage box 300 being inserted in the cargospace and the storage box 300 in the cargo space respectively. Thehandle 308 allows the storage box 300 to be easily pulled out of thecargo space. It is contemplated that when the lower tailgate 206 isopened, the storage box 300 can be pulled out of the cargo space so asto partially rest on the lower tailgate 206. The lid 304 can then beslid forward (as in FIG. 22 for example) so as to provide access to thecontents of the storage box 300.

Turning now to FIG. 26, a rear winch assembly of the ATV 10 will bedescribed. The rear winch assembly includes a winch motor 310, a cable312 and a hook 314. The winch motor 310 is mounted to the cargo boxsupporting frame 58 under a portion of the cargo box 50. Morespecifically, the winch motor 310 is disposed below the curved portionof the wall 234 of the cargo box body 200 as shown in FIG. 18 (with thewinch motor 310 schematically illustrated). The winch motor 310 isdisposed rearward of the intermediate wheel axes 74 and forward of thesway bar axis 96. In alternative implementations, the winch motor 310 ismounted to the frame 12 rearward of the intermediate wheel axes 74 andforward of the rear wheel axes 82. In other alternative implementations,the winch motor 310 is mounted to the frame 12 rearward of the frontwheel axes 68 and forward of the rear wheel axes 82. The cable 312 iswound in part around the winch motor 310 and passes through a tube 316 aguide roller assembly 318 (best seen in FIG. 7) connected to the frame12 to connect to the hook 314.

Turning now to FIGS. 27 and 28, an ATV 10′ will be described. The ATV10′ is an alternative implementation of the ATV 10 described above. Forsimplicity, elements of the ATV 10′ that are similar or identical tothose of the ATV 10′ have been labelled with the same reference numeralsand will not be described again.

The ATV 10′ has a frame 12′ in which the front frame portion 52′ islonger than the front frame portion 52 of the ATV 10. As a result, thedistance between the front wheel axes 68 and the intermediate wheel axes74 is greater than in the ATV 10. The distance between the intermediatewheel axes 74 and the rear wheel axes 82 is the same as in the ATV 10,but it is contemplated that it could be different. The footrests 26′ ofthe ATV 10′ are also longer than the footrests 26 of the ATV 10.

The ATV 10′ has a passenger seat 350 removably connected to the ATV 10′.The seat 350 is removably connected to one or more of the seat 24, thevehicle body 14 and the frame 12. It is contemplated that the passengerseat 350 could be fixedly connected to one or more of these elements. Itis also contemplated that the driver seat 24 and the passenger seat 350could be integrally formed. The driver and passenger seats 24, 350 areboth laterally centered about the longitudinal centerline of the ATV10′. As can be seen, a majority of the passenger seat 350 is disposedrearward of the driver seat 24. The front portion of the passenger seat350 overlaps the rear portion of the driver seat 24. The passenger seat350 is a straddle seat having a seat bottom 352 and a seat back 354. Itis contemplated that the seat back 354 could be omitted. As can be seen,the seat bottom 352 is vertically higher than the driver seat 24. Grabhandles 356 are provided on either side of the seat bottom for thepassenger to hold onto.

The passenger seat 350 is completely rearward of the engine 34(schematically illustrated in FIG. 27). A portion of the passenger seat350 is disposed rearward of the intermediate wheel axes 74, but amajority of the passenger seat 350 is disposed forward of theintermediate wheel axes 74. A majority of the seat bottom 352 isdisposed longitudinally between the intermediate wheel axes 74 and theswing arm axis 76. A portion of the cargo box 50 extends forward of therear portion of the passenger seat 350. In one implementation, thecentral wall portion 252 of the front wall 220 of the cargo box body 200has to be removed in order to accommodate the passenger seat 350.

Modifications and improvements to the above-described implementations ofthe present technology may become apparent to those skilled in the art.The foregoing description is intended to be exemplary rather thanlimiting. The scope of the present technology is therefore intended tobe limited solely by the scope of the appended claims.

1. A vehicle comprising: a frame; a motor connected to the frame; twofront wheels operatively connected to the frame; two intermediate wheelsoperatively connected to the frame, the two intermediate wheels beingdisposed rearward of the two front wheels, the intermediate wheelsrotating about intermediate wheel axes; two rear wheels operativelyconnected to the frame, the two rear wheels being disposed rearward ofthe intermediate wheels; a driver seat connected to the frame; apassenger seat disposed at least in part rearward of the driver seat,the driver seat and the passenger seat being straddle seats, at least amajority of the passenger seat being disposed forward of theintermediate wheel axes; and a cargo box connected to the frame, thepassenger seat being disposed at least in part forward of the cargo box,the cargo box having a floor, a front wall and two side walls.
 2. Thevehicle of claim 1, wherein the driver and passenger seats are bothlaterally centered about a longitudinal centerline of the vehicle. 3.The vehicle of claim 1, wherein a majority of the passenger seat isdisposed rearward of the driver seat.
 4. The vehicle of claim 3, whereina front portion of the passenger seat overlaps the rear portion of thedriver seat.
 5. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the passenger seat has aseat bottom and a seat back.
 6. The vehicle of claim 5, wherein the seatbottom of the passenger seat is vertically higher than the driver seat.7. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising two swing arms connectingthe intermediate wheels to the frame, the swing arms pivoting about aswing arm axis; wherein at least a majority of the seat bottom isdisposed longitudinally between the intermediate wheel axes and theswing arm axis.
 8. The vehicle of claim 1, further comprising at leastone grab handle provided on at least one side of the passenger seat. 9.The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the passenger seat is completelyrearward of the motor.
 10. (canceled)
 11. The vehicle of claim 1,wherein a portion of the cargo box extends forward of a rear portion ofthe passenger seat.
 12. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the cargo box ispivotally connected to the frame about a pivot axis; and wherein thepassenger seat is disposed completely forward of the pivot axis.
 13. Thevehicle of claim 6, wherein a top of the driver seat and a top of theseat bottom are vertically higher than the floor of the cargo box. 14.The vehicle of claim 1, wherein: the intermediate wheel axes arerearward of a front of the cargo box; the rear wheels rotate about rearwheel axes; and the rear wheel axes are forward of a rear of the cargobox.
 15. The vehicle of claim 1, wherein the front wall of the cargo boxdefines a laterally centered recess in a front thereof.
 16. The vehicleof claim 1, further comprising: two intermediate swing arms connectingthe intermediate wheels to the frame, the intermediate swing armspivoting about an intermediate swing arm axis; and two rear swing armsconnecting the rear wheels to the frame, the rear swing arms pivotingabout a rear swing arm axis; wherein: the rear wheels rotate about rearwheel axes; the rear swing arm axis is forward of the rear wheel axes;the intermediate wheel axes are forward of the rear swing arm axis; andthe intermediate swing arm axis is forward of the intermediate wheelaxes.
 17. The vehicle of claim 16, further comprising: two intermediateshock absorber and spring assemblies connected between the twointermediate swing arms and the frame; and two rear shock absorber andspring assemblies connected between the two rear swing arms and theframe.
 18. The vehicle of claim 16, further comprising a sway bar havingtwo ends connected to the two rear swing arms and a central portionpivoting about a sway bar axis, the sway bar axis being disposed forwardthe rear swing arm axis and rearward of the intermediate wheel axes. 19.The vehicle of claim 16, wherein the intermediate swing arm axis, therear swing arm axis, the intermediate wheel axes and the rear wheel axesare parallel to each other.
 20. The vehicle of claim 1, furthercomprising: two rear swing arms connecting the rear wheels to the frame,the rear swing arms pivoting about a rear swing arm axis; anintermediate gear assembly operatively connecting the engine to theintermediate wheels; and a rear gear assembly operatively connecting theintermediate gear assembly to the rear wheels; wherein the rear swingarm axis is disposed longitudinally between the intermediate gearassembly and the rear gear assembly. 21.-39. (canceled)